Wrench.



W. L. ZELLER.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4. 19H. l

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

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.v TED srarns PATENT WILLIAM L. ZELLER, OF SPRINGBAY, ILLINOIS.

unions WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Paten-reu Dec. 1o, 1918.

Application filed May 4, 1917. Serial No. 166,320.

ments in tools and relates particularly toa wrench of the quick acting type, including a fixed and a movable jaw.

One of vthe objects of the invention is to provide ythe movable jaw with ya rack and meshing with the rack, a worm vfor adjusting themovable Yj aw with `res ect to the fixed jaw, and in the provision o means including a lever for releasing thenwormfrom the rack of the -liXed jaw lto permit said movable jaw to be moved longitudinally.quickly to an adjusted position, and upon the release of the lever .to cause the worm to again mesh with the teeth of said rack formaking fine adjustments of said movable jaw.

A further object of the invention is to provide the tool with a movable and fixed jaw, said movable jaw having a rack and slidable through a housing secured `to kthe shank of the fixed jaw; ka worm adapted to 'have a meshing relation with the said rack yjournaled ina bearing carried in and slidable relatively t0 said housing; a lever operatively connected with said bearing for reciprocating the same in Vthe housing to 'release the worm from said rack, to permit said movable jaw to be quickly moved to an adjusted position, and a spring acting :in connection with said lever for returning the worm to meshing relation with the rack when the lever is released, whereby ya iine adjustment may be made of said movable j aw.

That the invention may be more fully understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the application, in which: y

Figure 1 ,is a side ,elevation of my improved tool, the `movable jaw, the lever and worm shown in adjusted position in dotted lines; i

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section view of the tool with a part of the shank of the fixed jaw broken away; y

Fig. 3 is a detail in plan of the housing and bearing for supporting the movable jaw land worm;

Fig, is. a sectional View Vas .the

.Same

ywould appear if taken on the line 4.-4, Fig. 1, and l I Fig. 5 is a sectional view as the same would appear if taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1, the shank of the movable jaw being omitted. n Y Like characters of reference denote 'corresponding parts throughout the figures.v

yIn the drawing, 1 designates the fixed jaw on the end of a shank 2 having a hand-hold .or gripping portionB for use by the opera-- tor when gripping the tool.

Suitably secured to the shank 2 adjacentI kto the jaw 1y is a housing 4, comprisingside walls 5 connected by the transverse webs k6 and 7 ,said webs 6 and 7 being spaced apart to form a guide-way, together with the .walls 5 for the shank 8 having the movable jaw 9, said movable jaw'9 connected to or forming-a part ofV said shank 8 and disposed at right angles thereto so as toco-act with the jaw 1. The walls 5 of the khousing are formed with the oppositely cut-out portions 10, see Figs. 1 andB, to 'provide a guide-way. On the outside of yone Vwall 5 .if the housing 4 are provided the spaced ribs 11, the matching faces of which are beveled as at 12l and form a dove-tailed groove in which is adapted to slide thel shank' 13 of a 4rectangular open boxing 14, said boX- ing having the end walls-15 formed with the shoulder portions 16s0 that a bearing is formed for the end walls of the boxing between 'the cut-out portions 10 of the side walls 5' and between the matching walls 5 of said housing, as best seen in Fig. 3. In said `boxing 14 and between the end kwalls j 15 is journaled a worm 17, said worm being normally in meshing relation with the teeth of a rack 18 out or suitably formed on the s'hankS of the movable jaw 9. It is obvious that by turning the worm in opposite directions, the shank 8 may be movedalternately kend-wise in opposite directions to adjust the `jaw 9 with respect'to the jaw 1, the shank 8 having a sliding movement in the housing 4. For a quick release of the worm 17 from Ythe teeth of the rack 18, I provide the lever 19 preferably fulcrumed at 20 to the opposite walls. 5 of the housing 4, and said lever has the finger pressing portion 21, wherebythey lever may be actuated and theforward end of said lever engages in the preferably :V-

shaped notch'22 in the lower portion of the -shankl-,of the boxing 14, Thelever Ysheld in a position retaining the Worm 17 in meshing relation With the teeth of the rack 18, by means of the sprin 23, the acting end of which bears against t e wall of the finger pressing portion 21 of said lever, said spring being preferably secured between the Walls 5 of the housing l'bv the same screw Which orms the fulcrum of the lever, the forward end of the spring bearing against the underside of one of said transverse Webs 6 of the boxing. It is obvious that by pressing doWn upon the linger portion 21 of said lever and moving it into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, that the shank 13 Will be reciprocated, moving the boxing 14 to release the Worm 17 from the teeth of the rack 18 and thereby permit the shank 8 and jaW 9 to be quickly adjusted with respect to the jaw 1, and When adjusted to a desired position, upon releasing` the lever, the sprin 23 Will act to return the boxing to a position causing the Worm 17' to engage With the teeth of the rack 18, whereby a liner adjustment of the shank 8 and jaw 9 may be'made, if desired. The engagement of the' avvs 1 and 9 will limit the movement of the shank 8 in one direction, and a pin 24 connected with the rear end of the shank 8 adapted to engage in the notch 25 in one Wall 5 of the housing 4l Will limit the movement of the shank 8 in the opposite direction.

The drawing illustrates the preferred construction of my tool, but it is obvious that modications may be made Without limiting the scope or spirit of the invention, and I reserve the right to make such modification.

That I claim is z 1. In a tool of the character described, in combination, a jaw having a shank, a housing connected With said shank and provided with a guide-Way, a javv movablerelatively vto said irst j aW and having a shank portion slidably carried in the guide-Way of said housing and provided with a rack, a bearing having a slidable relation with respect to said housing, a Worm journaled in said bearing and normally meshing with the rack of vsaid movable'javv, and means for moving said bearing for releasingthe Worm from thc rack. i

2. In a tool of the character described, in combination, a javv having a shank, a housing connected with said shank and provided With a guide-Way, a jaw movable relatively to said first javv and having a shank portion slidably ycarried in the guide-Way of ysaid housing and provided with a rack, a

bearing having a slidable relation' With respect to said housing, a Worm journaled in said bearing and normally meshing with the rack of said movable jaw, a lever for moving saidbearing to release the Worm from the rack, and a spring acting to return the lever and bearing` to their initial positions.

B. In a tool of, the character described, in

combination, a jaw having a shank, a housing connected with said shank and provided With a guide-Way, a j avv movable relatively to said first javv and having a shank portion slidably carried in the guide-Way of said housing and provided with a rack, a bearing having a slidable relation With respect to said housing and formed with a shank extension, a guide-Way for the shank extension of the bearing on said housing, a Worm journaled in said bearing and normally meshing With the rack of said movable jaw, and a lever engaging the shank of the bearing and When actuated, ladapted to move the bearing to release the worm from the rack.

4. In a tool of the character described, in combination, a jaw having a shank portion terminating in a hand grip, a housing connected With said shank and provided With a guide-Way extending parallel with the shank of said jaw, a javv movable relatively to said first jaw and having a shank portion extending parallel with the shank of said lfirst jaw and slidable in the guide- Way of the housing, said slidable shank having a rack, a bearing slidably carried in said housing and movable at right angles to said slidable shank, a Worm journaled in said bearing and normally meshing With said rack, a lever having a fulcrum on said housing,one. end provided With a linger pressing portion, and the opposite end in connection With said bearing, whereby, when the lever is actuated, the bearing is moved to release the Worm from the rack, and a spring for returning and holding the lever to its normal position.

5. In a tool of the character described, in combination, a jaW having a shank and terminating in a hand grip, a housing including opposite plate portions connected with the opposite sides of said shank adjacent said jaw, said plates connected by web portions forming a guide-Way, a jaw movable relatively to said irst jaw and having a shank portion slidably carried in the guide-Way formed by vsaid plates and Webs of the housing, said slidable shank having a rack, a bearing slidably carried in said housing, a Worm journaled in said bearing and normally meshing with said rack, and a lever for moving said bearing to release the Worm from said rack.

6. In a tool of the character described, in combination, 4a jaw having a shank and terminating in a hand grip, a housing including opposite plate portions connected with the opposite sides of said shank adjacent said jaw, said plates connected by web portions forming a guide-Way, one of said plates formed With a guide-Way on its outside face, a jaw movable relatively to said iirst jaw and having a shank portion slidably carried in the guide-Way formed by said plates and Webs of the housing, said slidable shank having a rack, a bearing slidably carried in said housing and having a shank slidable in said guide-Way on the outside of one of said plates, said shank provided with a notch, a Worm journaled in said bearing and normally meshing With said rack, av lever fulcrumed on said housing, one end of said lever having a finger pressing portion, its opposite end engaging in the notch of the shank of the bearing, and a spring for holding the lever in normal posi-tion with the Worm engaging the rack.

7. In a tool of the character described, in combination, a j aw having a shank, a housing including opposite plates secured to said shank adjacent said jaw, and connected by Webs forming a guide-Way, the outer portions of said plate formed With cut-out portions, a jiaW movable relatively to said first jaw and having a shank portion slidably carried in the guide-Way of said housing, and provided with a rack, a bearing slidably carried in said housing and having end Walls guided between said plates, and in the cutout portions thereof, a Worm journaled in said bearing between the end Walls thereof and normally meshing with said rack, and a lever connected With said bearing and adapted to move the same to release the Worm from the rack.

WILLIAM L. ZELLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. C. 

